Process of and machine for knitting caps and the like



Jan. 26, 1932. c. w. STOUT PnocEss oF AND 'MACHINE Fon KNITTING CAPs AND THE LIKE Filed July 29, 1930 5 sheets-sheet 1 MMM 'I' Jan. 26, 1932. K c. w. sTouT l 1,843,101

PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING CAPS AND THE LIKE Filed July 29, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheety 2 Tie-2- l INVENTOR CHARLES W. STOUT PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR KNITTINGCAPS AND THE LIKE Filed July 29, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet' 3 l KH INVENTOR l]- CHARLES W. STOUT y 22215' a/orneys Jan. 26, 1932. c. w. s'rouT 1,843,101

PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING CAPS AND THE LIKE] Filed July 29. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 C E H B INVENTOR MMM C. W. STOUT Jan. 26, 1932.

PROCESS OF AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING C APS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 29, 1930 x "UNITED STATES 3PATENT OFFICE CHARLES w. sTo'UT, 0E BEooxLYN, NEW-Yom; AssIGNoE 'ro AINsLIE KNITTJNG MA- CHINE co. ING., or BROOKLYN, NEW vom; A CORPORATION or NEW YORK rnocEss or AND MAoHrNE Eon XNITTING CAPs AND THE LIKE Application mea July 29, 1930. serial- No. 471,457.

This4 invention relates to process and ma- Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 just after chine fr knitting caps and more particuthe blind needle has been drawn down; larly to a process and machine in which the Fig. 9 is a plan view of the throat plate cap is knit by reciprocatory knitting 'of a and needles taken with the parts at the same plurality of segments radiating from the position as in Fig. 7; while v crown toward the hatband of the cap. T e Fignl is a view from the lower side of invention will be shown and described in the the llltd guard Which hOldS the fabric downmaking of a beret cap on a circular knitting One of the diiliculties of knitting beret caps machine by reciprocatory knitting'. has heretofore been the expense and labor 1o One object of the invention is the produc- 4of obtaining segments of the proper shape 60 tion of a beret cap onthe ordinary Seamless and joining them together. According to my hosiery machine. invention the segments are knitl in integral In the drawings the invention Willbe ilsuccession, of the proper shape and comlustrated in connection with the well known pletely joined together 1n a process of recip- Scott & Williams type of revolving needle rocatory knitting which leaves a selvedgel` es cylinder seamless hosiery machine. edge for the hatband and only requires the Fi 1 is an elevation from the left side looping together of the first and last courses of a cott & Williams machine, partly broken of the cap and the single loops at the crown. away,'embodying the invention showing the The machine will be described first. The

i main `patterndrum and the various knitting example ShOWI in the drawings S 0f the gell-V 70 cams and pickers controlled by it; eral typel described in the U. S. patent to Fig.2v is a plan view of the needle circle Robert W. Scott, 1,152,850 dated September showing` the needle buttsrand the cams which 7 1915. It has the usual needle cylinder act on them, the needleY cylinder having just 260 adapted t0 turn in the head of" the ma- 26 completed the oscillation in the clockwise dichine but since the entire cap is produced 75 rection corresponding to course 20'; by reciprocatory knitting the cams on the Fig. 3 is a development ofthe needle cylclutch shifting drum are -set tov drive the inder and knitting cam cylinder with vthe clutch in an *oscillatory manner at all times. needles at-the beginning of the oscillation ink The needle cylinder contains independent 30 the clockwise direction referred to in Fig. 2, latch .needles n in slots cut in the cylinder 80 as indicated by the arrow; as usual but there is one segment of the circle Fig..4 is a development similar to Fig. 3 in which the needles are omitted. Thus, for with the needles at the end of the oscillation inst-ance, if there are 136 slots in the cylinder in the counter-clockwise direction following there may be Only 90 needles. ACCOIdiIlg t0. 354 Athe course 0f Figs 2 and 3 i, Q Course 19, 2,3 4 these needles are lIltO 85 The arrow indicates the direction of move- Several groups as follows: a So'oa1led hat ment for knitting course 19; band group of 18 noodles H each hmmfg? .F- 5 h tf long butta so-called ever active group o 1g 1S a 'Sc ema 1c representatlon o one needles E, each having a medium butt, and

a Yso-called crown group of 34 needles C eachl 9o having a medium butt. In the example shown 1n the drawin s these Grou s a e r v Progressmg from bottom to'top of the gurm. in the order named wen readbin apcloc "iivie Fig 6 is an elevation Viewed from the direction from above asin Fi 2 the em t center of the machlne, ofthe swltch cam and Slots lying tog-ether as a .gapg inthe 1165112 95 the Yvldeolng 01' @0WD Ploker circle being between the crown group C and Flg. 7 1s a vertical sectlonal view through the hatband group H 1p1-@fer to hay@ m the Widening picker and the adjatfellt part extra needle B at the gap end 0f they hatof the needle cylinder showing the blind neeband group and to make this needle one with method of manipulating the courses and needles in successive segments of a cap in accordance with the invention, the knitting dle just before it is lowered; a longbutt like the hatband group. It may 10o be a so-called blind needle, i. e. one with a shank but with its headcut olf. This completes the 90 needles. The needles are caused to knit by the usual right and left hand stitch cams 360, 361 and draw down cam 357 located at the knocking-over point. These three cams are substantially the same as those shown in the above-mentioned patent to Robert W. Scott 1,152,850. Associated with the right and left hand stitch cams 360, 361 are pivot'ednarrowingvor up picks 650, 651 held together for interrelated movement first in one direction and then the other by a link- 667 all in the usual manner. The left hand up pick 651 islong enough to lie in the path of the medium length needle butts when its operative end is swung to the left, but the right hand up pick 650 is not quite so long 4ing and when swung into its operative position in the notch on the upper surface of the right hand stitch cam it allows the needles having medium length butts to pass it and engages only the leading active long butt needle.

Cooperating with the narrowing ,or up picks 650,651 is a peculiar widening or down pickerJ 680 located at thefront of the machine as usual and mounted in the usual manner. As shown in Figs. 2 and 6 this pick is notched to Vreceive needle butts on only one side and on the other side it is rounded o to allow needle butts toy pass it with the least resistance. It is shown notched on the left side as it is mounted in the machine and therefore it can only iengage and lower needles when they are movin a counter-clockwise direction. It

f should be noted that this pick i-s shortened to permit free passage to needle butts of medium length and that in the example given in the drawings the lips of the narrowing picks 650, 651 and the widening picker 680- are wide enough to engagel only one needle at a time. As in the above mentioned Scott Patent 1,152,850 the widening picker 680 isv moved from operative to inoperative levels at the necessary times in the knitting by a vertlcal gravity rod 216 controlled from the main pattern drum 120 of the machine. I

be idle.

For the purpose of moving needles as a group between the inactive level and the active level a switch cam 415 is provided between the right hand stitch cam 360 and the widening picker 680. Thisl switchA cam is very close to the pickerand its point faces toward the stitch cam 360 rather than to' ward the picker as is usually the case. Its principal function, in the manufacture of the specificl cap whose manufacture is b eing taken as an example of the inventlon, 1s to in this manner on both the hatband and crown groups on the same oscillation of the machine.

In order to do this the switch cam is so located with reference to the end of the counter-clockwise movement that the hat-band group of needles 'has just passed the switch cam at the end of an oscillation in that direction. The needles are now ready to move in the clockwise direction and as shown in Fig. 3. The hatband group are .lowered at the beginning of this clockwise course, i. e. course 20, and knit at the end of the movement, while the crown group of needles reach the switch cam and are lowered by it after 'they pass the knitting cams and they therefore knit for the first time on the next course, i. e. course 19, Fig. 5. AThis is the situation on gores other than the -one having loopers rounds 18 knit before course 19.

Bythus taking down the hatband needles first the last needle to knit in the ever active group is the first to knit on course 20 and a float thread is avoided on the next course.

The beret cap is of the usual shape, namely a crown from which the cap radiates to the maximum diameter and a comparatively short portion contracting therefrom to the hatband. The cap is composed of a plurality of segments or gores each tapered at both ends and interknit with its neighbors from one end to the other. I prefer to taper each end of a gore at one side only. I make the widest part of each gore-which corresponds to the maximum diameter of the cap-much nearer the hatband end than the crown. This aids in giving the correct shape to the hat. I also make the taper at the hatband end shorter and make this end 15 very blunt in. stead of a point, the blunt ends of all the gores constituting the hatband of the cap. The gores are knit in such a manner that the ends 15 are selvedge edges. The crown end 16 of each gore is tapered to a point each consisting of a single loop. These loops form a small opening in the-finished hat which can be used to fasten in a tassel or other ornament.

The first and last gores are knit with loopers courses 18 in order that they may be loopedtogether after the knitting is completed. ForA the sake of clarity a single row of stitches are hereafter termed a course and the course of stitches joining the two gores together will be termed a cast-off course. In the example shown in the drawings the cast-olf course 19 begins at the hatband'end and runs to the crown end 16, the knitting in Fi .5 proceeding from the bottom to the top o the figure and the courses from crown to hatband being the onesknitin a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. The small arrows. in Figure indicate the direction of knitting in the courses in which they are placed. v

As already, intimated making a cap according'to applicnts new process the nia-` chlne is operated in a reciprocatory manner to knit in integral succession to each other a" plurality of shaped segments extending from Vcrown to the hatband of the hat, a maximum length of some or all of the segments being l'kequal to the length'of a course knit on substantially all the needles in the machine. This method of knitting the cap makes it possible to obtain a bere't cap on theordinary seamless hosiery machine by having the ma? Jchine knitv a series of such segmentsin the manner hereinafter described `and having loopers courses knitv prior to the first segment or gore and after the last segment or gore of the hat, these looperscourses being looped together by afsubsequent operation.

In orderto knit these loopers courses 18 it is desirable to throw the up picks 650, 651 out of action. This is done -by means ofa cam 504 on the main pattern drum 120 connected to the right hand pick 650 by one of the usual thrust rods 460 and an extension 505.

In order that a plurality of these segments constituting the cap may be knit in integral succession by continuous operation of the machine,the cams 501, 502 are repeated on the surface of the main pattern drum 120 in directsuccession to each other as many times as there -are to be segments in the cap so that the machine will repeat a cycle of operations p extent Y provide a,

vas many times as necessary for the making of one cap and will then knit other caps in stringwork.

I have found it advisable to provide guard means to keep Lthe segments already knit from crowding up inthe fabric tube to an U which would permit the previously knit segments to crawl up the needles and get caught in the sinkers. I would prefer to form this guard in the form of a dished disc or segment 503 extending around the major- 1ty of the circumference of the cylinder and to flute the edge of this dished'guard so as to which( the fabric is restrained downwardly.

It might also be noted that the vswitch cam 415 is operated from the vertical gravity -rod 216 as has heretofore been known but that the manner and time of its operation are novel. Thus it is desired to keep the switch cam from ever raising needles out of action as a group when making theparticular shape ofv segments shown in the drawings and I y provided a rest orshould'er 506 underlying the free end of the switch cam which prevents the switch cam from ever plurality of different points at` dropping below a horizontal or level position, this level position being at such an elevation as to permit needle butts at the activeflevel ofthe horizontal axis of the switch cam and permitting the gravity rod to move vertically downward after the switch cam has` reached its level position and is restrained from turning further downward. This connection between the switch cam and the gravity rod' is so adjusted that when the gravity rod is in its uppermost position under the control of its high cam 501 the switch cam is in its uppermost or active position. When the gravity rod is under the control of the knitting cam 502 or is on the surface of the drum, the switch cam isin its horizontal or idle position. f

` It is necessary to drop the switch cam from its uppermost position to this level position and tovput the widening picker 680 out of action at the end of theknitting of the selvedge portion of each segment and this must occur at the end of a clockwise movement. The ordinary mechanism for racking the main pattern drum 120 for this purpose is generally adjusted in such a manner that the pattern drum is standing still at this time, andI therefore employ other mechanism to give the main pattern drum this particular rack. This mechanism consists of a cam 507 on the main drive shaft of the machine which-by means of a pawl 509 on lever 510-gives one of a series of cams 511 the main pattern drum a kick at just the desired moment under control of lugs 508 controlling the lever 510 as heretofore known.

The construction of the machine having Y 'been described its operation will now be set forth. It is first necessary to make a sufficient number of loopers rounds or courses 18 on all the needles including the blind `needle' by meansof reciprocatory knitting lia has been on the pattern drum and the I widening picker 680 has not been act-ive. The machine knits a plurality of loopers courses 18 ending with a course in the clockwise direction from the crown to the hatband. Immediately thereafter course 19 from the hatband to the crown is knit and'. the pattern drum 120 is given a rack which' places the widening picker 680 'in' operative position and' frees the narrowing picks 650, 651 from the iniuence of the cam 504. This occurred just after the completion of the previous counter-y clockwise movement and just' after .the' socalled blind'needle hadr passed the right harid stitch cam 360. The first needle to belraisd therefore is the end needle ofthe crown group,

i. e. the needle 21, but the widening picker 680 does not lower this needle because the needle approaches the picker from the right hand sidel and that widening picker is not notched but is rounded off and allows the needle to slide by it Without lowering same. The repeated reciprocation of the machine will therefore begin the narrowing on the crown end las shown in the drawings. In the meantime the blind needle is being raised at ,he beginning of each counter-clockwise movement by the right hand up pick 651 and is being lowered again at each counter-clockwise oscillation by the widening picker 680 as that counter-clockwise movement nears its end. It will therefore be obvious that the blind needle prevents narrowing at the hatband end of the segment. This prevention of narrowing at the hatband end of the segment gives -the selvedge whicli forms part of the hatband of the completed cap and vin addition I have discovered that the use of the blind needle provides an especially good selvedge. By raising the blind needle before the hatband group of needles pass through Y the knitting cams the yarn is wrapped around the blind needle and the subsequent lowering of'that blind needle by the widening picker not only permits the knitting of all .the needles atthe hatband end on any desired number of courses to make the selvedge but it also means that when the blind needle is loweredtby the widening picker the loop on that needle is cast off leavin-g a big loop on the adjacent needle. It also avoids casting ofi' at the selvedge on every other course. This makes the selvedge very elastic and rolls the edge somewhat back, a desirable characteristic for the selvedge of a beret cap. It will theref Y fore be obvious that this process of knitting Theknitting of course 20 will be obvious from the description of the location of the switch cam. The gravity rod 216'is momentarily raised by the high cam 501 at course 20. When the selvedge portion of the segment is completed andthe narrowing at the hatband end is to begin, the special rack is given by the cam '507, dropping the gravity p. rod 216 to the surface of the main drum 120, putting the widening picker 680 out of ac.-

tion. The effect of the up pick 650 on the.y

blind needle is therefore no longer nullified The process herein described, broadly considered, and the product, form the subjectmatter of my copending application for patf o`35- ent, Ser. No. 455,393, filed May 24, 193C).

and the narrowing takes place at the hatband end. Y

I claim:

1. In a process for producing a knitted cap on a circular knitting machine by reciprocatory knitting the knitting of a plurality of segments whose longest courses correspond to the number of needles in the machine, shaping said segments by picking the needles. and joining up the picked segments by moving the needles in the opposite direction as a group, in 'combination with the step of knitting a portion of the hatband end of each segment without narrowing or widening to form a selvedge.

2. A circular knitting machine for knitting caps comprising a needle cylinder, a partial circle of independent needles therein, and means adapted to reciprocate said cylinder, in combination with means adapted to cause the knitting in integral succession of a plurality of segments whose maxi# mum length corresponds to said partial circle of needles and to the distance from crown to hatband of the cap, picker means adapted to shape said segments by throwing needles out of action from both ends of the segment, and control means for said picker means adapted to prevent narrowing 'at one end of the partial circle of needles.

3. A circular knitting machine for knitting caps comprising a needle cylinder, a partial circle of independent needles therein, and means adapted to reciprocate said cylinder in combination with means adapted to cause the knitting in integral succession of a plurality of segments whose maximum length corresponds to said partial` circle of needles and to the distance from crown to hatband of the cap, and picker 'means adapted to shape said segments by artial circle of independent needles corre:4

sponding to the length of the article from center to edge, means for knitting reciprocatorily in integral succession a plurality of segments of said article in combination with means adapted to taper the segments at both ends by picking a different number of needles out of action at each end.

5. In a circular knitting machine for knitting circular articles a needle cylinder, a partial circle of independent needles corresponding to the length of the @article from center to edge, means for knitting reciprocatorily in integral succession a plurality of segments of said 'article in combination with means for rendering successive needles inactive recurrently and other means adapted to render idle needles active in a group.

6. vIn a' circular knitting machine for knitting circular articles1 a lneedle cylinder, la partial circle of independent needles corresponding to the length of the article from center to edge, means forl knitting reciprocatorily in integral succession a plurality of segments of said article in combination with means adapted to pick needles up on oscillations of the cylinder in both directions and other means to pick needles down on movements in one direction only said last mentioned means being adapted to function during only part of the picking-up of `the needles..

7. In a circular knitting machine for knitting circular articles composed of a plurality of segments, a partial'ci'rcle of independent needles corresponding to the ,length of the article from centerV to edge, knitting cams therefor, and means for causing relative reciprocation of the needles and lmitting cams,

in combination with means for narrowing the knitting from the center and edge on a plurality of segments of the article, and means for returning the inactive needles to activity in groups withoutclearing the needles.

8. In a circular knitting machine for knitting caps composed of a plurality of segments, a partial circle of independent needles corresponding to the length of the cap from center to edge, knitting cams therefor, and means for rcausing relative reciprocation ofthe needles and knitting cams, in combination with means for narrowing the knitting from the crown and hatband on a plurallty of segments of the cap and other means for preventing narrowing at the'hat band on some courses. f

f 9. In a circular-knitting machine for'knit-V ting caps composed of a plurality Aof segments, a partial circle of independent needles corresponding to the length of the cap from center to edge, knitting cams therefor, and means for causing relative reciprocation of the needles and knitting cams, in combination with a blind needle at the hatband end of the partial circle of needles, means v for picking up needles at the crown and hatban end of the circle and otherI meansfor pulling said blind needle down after the yarn has been laid around it, said other means bey ing lactive only on courses where is desired to make a selvedge -for the hatband.

10. In a circular knitting machine for knitting caps composed of a plurality of segments, a partial circle of mdepehdent needles corresponding to the length of the cap from center to edge, knitting cams there for, and means for causing relative reciprocation of the needles and knitting cams, long butts on the needles at the hatband end and mediuni butts on .the needles at the crown end of the circle, in combination with means for picking needles up at each end of the Yknittingffrom the center and edge on a plurality of segments f the article, andmeans for returning the inactive needles to activity inl groups without clearing the needles, and a guard inside said partial circle having an irregular edge offering downward ressure to the knitted' fabric at a plurality o points..

12. In a process for producing a knitted cap, the steps of knitting by reciprocation in integral succession a plurality of segments whose courses extend from hatband to'crown, there-being a selvedged knit on the hatband end of each segment, and drawing a bight of yarn around the end needle at the selvedge on each neciprocation and throwing the bight olf said end needle without Y knitting it.

13. In a process for producing a knitted cap on a circular knitting machine, the steps of knitting by reciprocat1on a segment of the cap whose len h from crown to edge of the cap correspon s tothe knitted course, shaping the segments by throwingneedles out of action, the shaping of one end being begun subsequent to the 'beginning of the shaping of the'other end, and subsequently throwing idle needles into action as a group.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication. A

CHARLES W. STOUT.

@Ehrmann or coRREcroN. u .raient No. 1,843,101. Granted January 2 6, 1932, w

J cHARLEsw. sToUr.

It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the printed specfication of the above'numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 4, lines 66 and 67,

i strike out the words "and the narrowing takes place'at the hatbandl end. and il sert the same after the word "nullified" in line 61; and that' the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the `same mayconfom to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of March, A. D. 1932.

M. J.- Moore, e

(Seal) y q y l ActingCommissioner of Patents'. 

